In the Shadow of an Avalanche
by ljblake
Summary: With a little twist of fate things could be so different. But happy endings don't come easy. What if Callum had escaped from the Rose Garden? Continues from mid-way through Chapter One Hundred and Twelve of Noughts and Crosses. 'We could try and find a place for us. You and me, Sephy.'


**Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful characters or other elements of Noughts of Crosses, they belong to Malorie Blackman. This is just a devoted fan's vision of how thing's could have been. :D **

Chapter 1: O: Callum.

'Let's get out of here. We could be together, even if it's just for a while, we could try to find a place for us. You and me, Sephy…' _And our child. _I still couldn't fathom the awe of it: -that in the midst of chaos and circumstances fuelled by a lifetime of anger and hatred and rage, we had created _life_. For the first time in a long while I could actually believe that God was watching over me, listening to my prayers. Sephy was smiling at me, and her eyes shimmered slightly with unshed tears.

'That's all I've ever wanted,' she replied. She was gazing at me with wide, wistful eyes but I could see the hope in them too. The same hope I had now. The hope she'd given back to me. She lifted her hands to touch my cheeks and cup my face. Her palms were cool against my skin but I thrilled to their touch. They felt damp too, damp, I realised, from the tears that had begun to spill from my eyes. I reached out and curled my arms around her waist, knotting my fingers in the back of her dress. I just wanted to breathe her in and never let her go, I was so afraid this moment would slip from me like so much else.

'I love you,' Sephy murmured.

I bent my head and kissed her, pulling her further into my arms, the slight swell of her tummy pressing against my body. Our make-shift family.

'I love you too' I whispered earnestly, once I'd lifted my lips from hers.

She sighed and laid her head against my shoulder. Then, gently, she pulled away and stepped away from me.

'Seph?' I reached out my hand to pull her back to me and looked at her questioningly. She giggled under my gaze.

'Well, I can't run away with you with only the clothes on my back can I? Cal, I need to go get some stuff, OK?'

I instinctively frowned, I couldn't help it. I didn't like it and Sephy could tell. She pursed her lips then smiled at me, taking my hands back in hers. Placating me. Reassuring me.

'Callum, I'll be fine, OK? I'll be thirty minutes, an hour tops. I'll meet you on the road outside . Please, Callum. Trust me. I'm much safer here than you are. You need to go. Now.'

But I still wasn't convinced. My safety was nothing when weighed with hers._ Theirs… _and I couldn't shake the knot of dread and fear that tied in my stomach at the thought of being separated from her again. The what-ifs were too many and too great, too many things that could drag us apart and _keep _us apart.

'Persephone…' I urged 'Just please, please be careful. Whatever happens. Whether you can get to me or not – just, just take care. I love you.' My face crumpled as my fear and emotion dealt a blow to my chest. 'I love you so, so much' I admitted in a desperate whisper.

She stilled at that, regarding me for seconds, then stepped toward me and put her arms tightly around my waist with a small whimper.

'Callum, why are you talking like this? We are going to be together. I'll be there. An hour. Max. I promise, Callum. I promise!' She looked up at me then, her arms round my neck, fingers curled in my hair. A ghost of a smile played over her lips. 'Wild horse couldn't keep me away.'

I forced myself to smile in return. Those words stirred the memory of when I'd told her something similar. When she'd been beaten up and I'd waited outside her house every-day. Even then just being together had be so difficult, almost impossible. Could we really make it this time? _Please, God… If you're up there… _

I pressed my lips briefly to hers.

'K. One hour. I'll see you then, Persephone.' I brushed my hand across her abdomen 'And you, little one.'

'See you, Cal', Sephy smiled and pulled away, turning to run back towards the house. When I could see her no more, I began to retrace my steps out of the rose garden.

_ Everything's going to be fine…She'll be there…She promised…Calm down, Callum. _I kept telling myself it would be OK, that leaving her had not been a mistake, but I couldn't stop worrying. I felt cold with dread. Why did I have such a growing feeling that leaving now might be the biggest mistake of my life? Why was the pit of my stomach shouting at me that I might never see her again?

**AN: Hope you liked it! This is my first fic. What did you think? I know alternate endings to N&C have been done before but I think there were so many interesting character dynamics I wanted to explore if things had taken a different turn. Please read and review! If anyone likes it I'll carry it on! x**


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